The choir can trace its roots back to 1964 when a choral group started performing Easter and Christmas concerts in Kaikohe. Linden Duncan later established a year round community choir attracting members from a wider area. The choir moved its base to the historic church of St John, Waimate, with its wonderful acoustics.
In 1975 the baton was handed to Jane Barnet. The choir performed three Sunday afternoon concerts per year. These were followed by refreshments under the trees, and attracted audiences from throughout The North. The choir became incorporated as The Waimate North Music Society Inc in 1981.
Larry Jenkins took over as Choir Director in 1991 and soon after the choir its base to Kerikeri where it took on the name ‘The Bay of Islands Singers’. Choir camps were enjoyed on Queen’s Birthday weekends as far afield as KohuKohu, Kaeo and Whangarei.
In 1997 Carol Maher was appointed Musical Director. During her 11 years with the choir she placed a strong focus on vocal tuition thus adding a richness of sound to the choir’s other attributes.
Since John Jackets became Musical Director in 2009 the choir has continued to flourish and been challenged with concerts spanning a wider range of musical genres. An additional feature of these concerts has been the inclusion of instrumental ensembles to accompany the choir adding a richness and variety to the musical experience and lifting the standard of performance to a higher level. Audiences average from around 160 to 200 from the local community, Whangarei and Auckland.
The choir officially changed its name to The Bay of Islands Singers Inc in 2012.